Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. var. parvifolia (Royle) Schneid.

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

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Description

Family Elaeagnaceae

Trees or shrubs , deciduous or evergreen ; most parts with distinctive silvery or brownish peltate scales and/or stellate hairs , sometimes branches spine-tipped. Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled ; stipules absent; petiole usually present, sometimes short; leaf blade often leathery, simple , margin entire or subentire , abaxially densely stellate-hairy or peltate-scaly, pinnately veined. Flowers solitary or in clusters or short racemes , actinomorphic , bisexual , or unisexual (plants dioecious) . Calyx in bisexual and female flowers tubular , 2-6(-8) -lobed, male flowers of Hippophae of 2 membranous sepals. Petals absent. Stamens 4-8, free , adnate to calyx tube, in male flowers 2 × as many as the lobes , in bisexual flowers as many as the lobes and alternate with them. Ovary superior but tightly enclosed in differentiated basal part of calyx and apparently inferior, 1-loculed; style elongate , stigma lateral . Ovule 1, basal, anatropous . Fruit drupelike, indehiscent, enclosed in base of calyx tube and containing a single seed.

Three genera and ca. 90 species: N temperate and tropical regions ; two genera and 74 species (59 endemic) in China.

The fruits of many members of this family are edible, and some species of both Elaeagnus and Hippophae are widely utilized and sometimes cultivated as fruit trees. They are a particularly good source of Vitamin C. Several species are also grown as ornamental garden shrubs. The roots are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen making it possible for plants to grow well on very poor soils. For this reason, some species, most notably Elaeagnus angustifolia, have been used for land reclamation.[1]

Genus Elaeagnus

Shrubs , sometimes climbing , or small trees , deciduous or evergreen , sometimes spiny . Leaves alternate, petiolate , blade margin usually entire. Flowers bisexual , clustered on short axillary shoots , sometimes solitary. Calyx tubular , 4-lobed, constricted above ovary and breaking at constriction as fruit develops; lobes usually spreading , deciduous, white or yellow inside. Stamens 4, inserted in mouth of calyx tube, alternate with lobes. Style linear , not exserted. Drupe globose or ellipsoid , rarely longitudinally winged (E. mollis) ; stone usually 8-ribbed, with a large straight embryo.

About 90 species: Asia, S Europe, North America; 67 species (55 endemic) in China.

Many taxa are separated only by quantitative characters, and better information on population variation is likely to lead to a significant reduction in the number of species recognized. Indeed, recent studies (Du, Fl. Yunnan. 12: 749-776. 2006) suggest that some species of Elaeagnus should be combined.[2]

Taxonomy

Notes

Place of publication : J. A. Murray, Syst. veg. ed. 14:164. 1784 May-Jun (Fl. jap. 66, t. 14. 1784 Aug)

Name verified on 31-Dec-2007 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 31-Dec-2007

Similar Species

Members of the genus Elaeagnus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 20 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

E. angustifolia (Oleaster) · E. angustifolia 'Quicksilver' (Silver Russian Olive) · E. commutata (American Silverberry) · E. latifolia (Wild Olive) · E. multiflora (Cherry Silver-Berry) · E. orientalis (Oriental Olive) · E. orientalis 'King Red' (Silver Russian Olive) · E. philippinensis (Lingaro) · E. pungens (Pungent Elaeagnus) · E. pungens 'Fruitlandii' (Fruitland Silverberry) · E. pungens 'Glen St. Mary' (Golden Elaeagnus) · E. pungens 'Maculata' (Golden Elaeagnus) · E. rhamnoides (Common Seabuckthorn) · E. umbellata (Autumn Elaeangus) · E. umbellata Thunb. var. parvifolia (Royle) Schneid. (Autumn Olive) · E. umbellata var. parvifolia (Autumn Olive) · E. umbellatus (Oleaster) · E. x ebbingei 'Eleador' (Ebbinges Silverberry) · E. x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge' (Ebbinges Silverberry) · E. x ebbingei 'Limelight' (Ebbinges Silverberry)

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Further Reading

• Agroforest. Today 8:21.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959–. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. (F China)
• Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In J. O. Luken & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. (Pl Invasion)
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1948–1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials. Delhi. (Wealth India RM) 3:35.
• Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan. 1993–. Flora of Taiwan, 2nd ed. (F Taiwan ed2)
• Englert, J. M. et al. 1999–. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators. (NRCS Cons Pl Mat)
• Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard)
• Meyer, F. G. et al. 1994. A catalog of cultivated woody plants of the southeastern United States. (L CultWPl SE US)
• Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). (F JapanOhwi)
• Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands. (F Okin) [var. rotundifolia].
• Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986–. European garden flora. (Eur Gard F)
• Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds. (Invasive Pl Spec)
• Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994–. Flora of China (English edition). (F ChinaEng)
• Chang Che-yung. 1983. Elaeagnaceae. In: Fang Wen-pei & Chang Che-yung, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 52(2): 1-66.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 04, 2008)

Identifiers

• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-527844
• GRIN Nomen Number: 14934
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 527844
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDELG01061
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 170091

Footnotes

1. Haining Qin & Michael G. Gilbert "Elaeagnaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 251. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. "Elaeagnus". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 251. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

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